1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cursor movement control key switch for moving a cursor displayed on a display screen of a CRT or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As one of various means for changing the display position of a cursor on a CRT screen, a set of four cursor movement key switches is known which respectively allow movement of the cursor in the vertical (upward and downward) and horizontal (to the right and left) directions. The cursor movement key switches of this type are particularly prevalent in general purpose computers since they are inexpensive and simple in structure.
When a display position of a cursor on a screen is to be changed using such key switches, an up key having an upward arrow, for example, is depressed to move the cursor vertically upward. Then, a left key may be depressed to move the cursor to the left.
The difficulty in operating these four key switches to designate a plurality of directions of movement of the cursor on the screen may be confirmed by playing a game using a personal computer or the like. In order to be able to move the cursor quickly in a maze involving rectangular paths, one must have considerable skill in operating the key switches.
Although a set of four cursor movement key switches as described above functions relatively well, it does not necessarily guarantee optimal ease of operation as noted above. Furthermore, if the direction of movement of the cursor must be sequentially changed to reach a target position, the corresponding key switches must be sequentially depressed. This does not allow smooth movement of the cursor and results in a time-consuming operation.